Chapter Eleven: The Little Black Dog Proves Its Worth
That night, Ye Zhetian quietly slipped back to the Ten Thousand Laws Peak, intending to enter through the window. Yet, he found his master holding a thick black book, coughing up blood.
"Cough, cough... Now, with only thirteen years of life left, all bodily functions have sharply declined. This Divine Demon Scripture is indeed not so easy to comprehend..."
Listening to his master's murmurs, the little black dog sensed a profound exhaustion emanating from him. The patches of blood on the ground tightened Ye Zhetian’s heart. What was wrong with his master?
The little black dog wanted to go inside but feared disturbing him and worsening his condition, so it could only crouch anxiously outside the window, trying to understand what was going on.
Unaware of all this, Lin Jun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Sitting on the chair in the Peak Lord’s main hall, he was utterly engrossed in the Divine Demon Scripture in his hands. Though his body was weak and in pain, his spirit was exhilarated.
This scripture must be a cultivation method surpassing the Emperor level!
Even after fusing hundreds of times the ancient Confucian and Taoist classics, exhausting his spirit to the brink, he had only barely grasped a sliver of this scripture’s essence.
But the detailed descriptions of various Divine Demon physiques within stirred his blood to boil.
This scripture was created by someone who called himself the “Sage of the Way.” No one knew which era he belonged to, but he boasted that through this method, he could create a Chaos Divine Demon!
Lin Jun wasn’t sure if this was true, but the system-given cultivation method could not be wrong.
Most importantly, the first effect shown by the Divine Demon Undying Physique was breaking through the lifespan limit—extending life, blood drop rebirth, and other extraordinary divine powers!
This was exactly what he needed!
It was as if it had been prepared just for him!
However, though the Divine Demon Undying Physique was immensely powerful, its initial stage was rather complicated.
Since it imitated the physique of ancient Divine Demons, beginning cultivation required a stone imbued with a trace of Divine Demon energy.
This black-and-white stone, recorded in the Divine Demon Undying Physique as the Divine Demon Stone, was a mystery as to how it came into being, but it contained a faint ancient Divine Demon aura from the Divine Demon era! The larger the stone, the more Divine Demon energy it held!
To start cultivating the Divine Demon Undying Physique, one must awaken it with Divine Demon energy!
“But it’s been over a million years since the Divine Demon era. Where on earth am I supposed to find such a Divine Demon Stone…” Lin Jun clutched the Divine Demon Scripture, hope so near yet this problem almost unsolvable.
At that moment, outside the window, the little black dog, hearing the master's mumbling, looked up thoughtfully. Suddenly, its eyes brightened.
First, it sniffed the scent of the scripture in the master's hands, then sniffed around elsewhere. Seeming to discover something, its tail wagged joyfully.
Ignoring the risk of being scolded for causing trouble, it darted inside, grabbed Lin Jun’s robe, and pulled him outside…
“Eh? Ye Zhetian, you’re back.” Lin Jun was surprised and patted the dog’s head, only to find it tugging insistently at the hem of his robe.
“What are you doing? Is someone outside?” Lin Jun didn’t understand what it meant.
“Woof woof…” The little black dog sensed its master’s weakness and grew anxious when Lin Jun didn’t comprehend. It then flailed desperately, gesturing towards the scripture in Lin Jun’s hands and the outside world.
By the end, the little black dog was exhausted, rolling onto its back.
Finally grasping the meaning, Lin Jun pointed at the Divine Demon Scripture, astonished: “You mean, outside there’s something with the same aura as this book?”
“Woof woof!” The exhausted dog quickly nodded, biting the robe’s corner and pulling again.
“This is fantastic! Something with the same aura—could it be Divine Demon Stones? If so, Ye Zhetian, you’ve done a great service! I’ll treat you to dog meat hotpot... no, no, donkey meat hotpot later…”
The little black dog shot a resentful glance at its master.
---
Before long, Lin Jun was dragged by Ye Zhetian to the treasure vault of Ten Thousand Laws Peak. Just when he began to suspect the dog was trying to deceive him, Ye Zhetian frantically squeezed into the vault he had opened, relentlessly biting through a wall.
Suddenly, a scattering of fist-sized black-and-white stones, rich with Divine Demon energy, spilled across the floor.
“This, this!” Lin Jun propped himself up, both shocked and delighted. Never had he imagined so many Divine Demon Stones were hidden within Ten Thousand Laws Peak. Now the difficulty of cultivating the Divine Demon Undying Physique was resolved instantly!
Meanwhile, Ye Zhetian lay exhausted on the ground, tongue lolling, panting heavily.
“You’ve truly done me a great favor, Little Black Ye!”
Filled with joy, Lin Jun scooped up the dog and kissed it fiercely.
Seeing his master so happy, Ye Zhetian’s small eyes gleamed with satisfaction, proud to have been of help.
Seizing the opportunity while his master cultivated, he sniffed around with narrowed eyes and then dashed off again.
He found many places where these stones, so crucial to his master, still existed!
“Woof woof!”
Soon, Ye Zhetian returned eagerly, carrying a black-and-white stone in his mouth...
At that time, Lin Jun was sighing deeply.
He hadn’t expected breaking through the first stage of the Divine Demon physique to be so difficult.
Despite exhausting all the Divine Demon Stones in the vault, he was still stuck just before the breakthrough. The sensation was unbearable.
Yet his physical condition had improved considerably.
Taking the new Divine Demon Stone brought by Ye Zhetian, and after the dog’s excited gestures, Lin Jun said incredulously, “You’re saying there are many such stones in the ancient secret realm?”
“Woof woof!”
Ye Zhetian wagged his tail and barked excitedly.
Lin Jun’s excitement surged.
...
The next day, the ancient secret realm fully opened, shaking the entire Great Dao Sect.
“Did you hear? The sect leader gave rich rewards for the first place in this trial—apparently, a rare-grade magical weapon, the Sky-Splitting Hammer!”
“Second place’s prize isn’t simple either—a rare speed-type treasure, the Cloud-Piercing Shuttle!”
“Third place is a ‘Bai Ling Pill,’ which can boost cultivation for whoever consumes it!”
“We disciples are truly blessed! These rewards are rare in decades.”
“Hmph, I think the sect leader reserved them for his disciple Lin Qingxuan. With his flawless sword physique, nearing complete Foundation Establishment stage, nearly forming his Golden Core, how could we compete?”
“Speaking of Golden Core, did you notice? Yesterday, a golden light phenomenon appeared over Ten Thousand Laws Peak. Could it be someone among Uncle Lin’s disciples formed a core?”
“Ridiculous! Uncle Lin’s disciple is just a dog, and the princess doesn’t obey him. Maybe they’re just teasing him. Even if they formed a core, what does that have to do with him?”
“Besides, that wasn’t a Golden Core sign. The sect leader already ordered an explanation—it was a surge of spiritual energy from the Great Dao Sect’s land causing a special tremor. We disciples are told to discuss less.”
As a mirage-like secret realm image emerged in the void, disciples from old and new generations surged out, eager to make their mark in the trial.
The seven great peak lords’ thrones slowly appeared in the void.
Lin Jun was also invited to observe.
Since the Ten Thousand Insect Nest Trial secret realm was partly designed to reveal hidden talents among disciples, whatever occurred in the trial realm would manifest in the void.
Once an undiscovered hidden talent appeared, each peak lord had the right to select.
---
At dawn, Lin Jun slowly pushed open the door.
After a night of cultivation and using up all the Divine Demon Stones, he had recovered significantly.
Though stuck just before the breakthrough, he was no longer as weak as the previous day.
Only his white hair and aging appearance remained unchanged.
“Woof!”
Ye Zhetian appeared from somewhere, wagging his tail and affectionately greeting Lin Jun, joyful at his master’s recovery.
Lin Jun was somewhat annoyed by the dog's slobbering licks but still indulged him.
“Master,” Ji Qingyou stepped out from her own hall, clad in a white robe, stunningly beautiful. Lin Jun’s eyes held a faint sorrow.
But after a night of cultivation, her realm had stabilized at the early Golden Core stage. She now understood just how powerful the cultivation method given by Master Lin Jun was.
With continued cultivation, she could surely help her master recover fully!
“Woof woof!” Seeing Ji Qingyou greet only their master and ignore him, Ye Zhetian grew displeased.
“Junior brother,” Ji Qingyou glanced at him coolly and nodded lightly, showing no disdain. She knew that even if he was just a dog, being under their master's tutelage meant he should not be underestimated in the future.
“Woof woof woof!” Ye Zhetian barked indignantly, as if saying, “You don’t understand! He’s clearly a senior brother, why do you call him junior brother?”
“Enough.” Lin Jun raised his hand to interrupt them, his expression strained. “It seems there are some stones like this black-and-white one in the ancient trial secret realm.”
“If you encounter them, bring some back for me.”
He then produced a sample Divine Demon Stone for his two disciples to see.
Although he had the strength to participate in the ancient secret realm trial himself, it was inappropriate for him as a peak lord.
“Yes, Master.”
“Woof, woof woof!”
The two disciples nodded respectfully. Ji Qingyou took a long look at the black-and-white stone Master Lin Jun held and took note.
Then, Lin Jun led his two disciples through the teleportation array to the entrance of the ancient secret realm.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to fly but that he was too weak to do so.
By the time they arrived, the Ten Thousand Insect Nest of the ancient secret realm had long been opened. Impatient disciples had already rushed inside.
In the void, on the thrones of the seven great peak lords, six were already waiting.
Seeing Lin Jun and his two disciples arrive, the sect leader of Tianjian Peak’s gaze immediately settled on Ji Qingyou.
His voice rang out, lofty and commanding.
“Ji Qingyou, I give you one last chance.”
“If you join my Tianjian Peak, I promise you will have a place in the Southern Cultivation World.”
“What say you?”
Lin Qingxuan stood coldly beside the sect leader, eyes flickering, thoughts unknown.
Hearing Tianjian Peak’s voice, some disciples yet to enter the ancient secret realm showed envy.
However, Ji Qingyou merely smiled faintly in response.